The Dark Knight and Fallen Raven
by Violeta Night
Summary: In 1944, arranged marriages still existed. Branwen Black was stuck with marrying a terrible, abusive man.. but when fate sinks its claws into you, there is nothing you can do to stop it! When a new project comes about, how will she react? Does Tom Riddle, Dark Lord to be, turn a blind eye to the way his partner is being treated? Or will this dark knight save the fallen raven?
1. Prologue: New Project, Hidden Agenda

A/N: For those of you who are, or have read my Koga fanfiction, I explained that I had lost about 7 chapters to a Harry Potter fanfiction I had been working on during that time... Well this is the fanfiction! Obviously, I am having to rewrite the entire thing, so please hang in there with me on this! Please review and let me know what you think! This is going to be dark... So you have been warned!

ALSO! One of the main things that happens in this story is an idea I am borrowing from JessicaLynneGreenleaf... I so hope I spelled her name right! Anyway, I loved her Draco fanfic, and decided to elaborate on her idea... but for Tom Riddle! I am trying to make it as accurate as possible and keep to the character's personalities, but since it is before J.K. Rowling's series, it is a bit tricky! =/

Anywho... ENJOY! And please let me know what you think!

Prologue: New Project, Hidden Agenda

June 1, 1944- End of Sixth Year

Professor Dumbledore knocked lightly on the door to the Headmaster's office before he entered. The office was barren; only a few trinkets here and there on the shelves, bookcases lined with books, portraits of previous headmasters lining the back wall, and a large desk in the center of the room, Headmaster Dippet sitting behind it. He was an average man, balding with gray hair, portly with a sour look on his face most of the time. He looked up from what he was doing into the hypnotic blue eyes behind crescent moon glasses.

"Dumbledore, what may I help you with?" He asked simply. Dumbledore strolled across the room at a leisurely pace, taking a seat opposite of Dippet.

"I would like to propose a new curriculum for the seventh years." Dippet, used to Dumbledore and his propositions, leaned back in his chair waiting for him to continue. "I feel since after the students graduate, they will be settling down into their married lives, they should practice and experience what is to come." The headmaster's eyes widened in shock. He knew Albus was a bit... peculiar in his thinking, but this was unexpected even for him.

"How would you suggest this project happen?" The professor grabbed a small stack of papers from somewhere on his person, and slid them across the desk for Dippet to look over.

"Students would be put in a false marriage for the year. They would have their own village where they would live to truly understand the dynamics of the life they will be getting into." Dumbledore leaned across the desk to point at the blueprint of the village he had in mind before continuing, "The male students would take on jobs, while the wives stay at home, cleaning and cooking. They would eat dinner at their cottages, instead of with the rest of the school. Every day, they would be expected to write in a journal, which would be turned in to a teacher every Friday. They would be expected to keep up in their studies, of course." Dippet read over the notes, astonished at how detailed they were: the students already paired off accordingly, a mini marriage ceremony written out, blueprints for the village as well as each cottage, everything.

"What would you tell the parents who are enraged by this, or the pairings?"

"I would simply explain that they are being trained for the life they will live once they graduate. As for who they are partnered with, I will say it was at random." The headmaster knew that last part was a lie- nothing the ginger-haired man ever did was random.

"What about your plans for the second semester? How do you plan on accomplishing that?" Dippet smirked, thinking he had noticed something that would be impossible to do. Albus just smiled and grabbed the last paper in the stack and set it on top.

"I have already spoken to Horace about the potions that would be needed for both parts. As for the other little detail, a spell I have had an intelligent student of mine help me perfect, is ready to be used along with the right potion." Dippet's jaw dropped, slightly upset that his staff had gone behind his back on this. He closed his mouth and leaned back again, mulled everything over in his head before giving a quick nod.

"Alright, I will agree to this madness, but first, I want to know why." Dumbledore knew what he meant. He folded his fingers together and rested his chin on them, while he looked out the window.

"There are... certain students who would greatly benefit from this whole thing." Knowing he would not elaborate, the headmaster only nodded his head before sighing in defeat, rubbing his pudgy fingers against his temple.

"Well then Albus, You have a lot of work to do this summer. I suggest you get started." The professor nodded his head, turning to leave the room. Once he was out of the office, his eyes twinkled with a spark of mischief as a small smile graced his lips. Now all that was left was to set the stage, and let fate take its course.


	2. Chapter 1: The Beginning of Seventh Year

Chapter One: The Beginning of Seventh Year

All of the prefects were gathering in their personal cart on the Hogwart's Express. They each had their own cubicle, except the head boy and head girl, who shared a rather large one. There were the two benches that could easily hold six people each, a small round table in the center with two bowls filled with favorite treats of said students. At the back, right below the window, was a shelf with jars full of other snacks for the meeting.

When a fairly tall wavy black-haired head girl reached the cubicle, she noticed that three other prefects had already arrived. The only other female present had short cropped hair with hazel almond-shaped eyes, her nose slightly crooked over her thin lips. The shorter of the two males was slightly pudgy with beady gray-green eyes and shaggy brown hair just above his ears. The final person was tall with a slim figure who had slick black hair with a slight wave at the front and cold chocolate eyes. Stealthily, the head girl sneaked up behind the other girl who was too busy inspecting her prefect badge to notice, and poked her side.

"Geez Brawnie, you just scared the daylights out of me!" She swatted the giggling girl on the arm before giving her an affectionate hug.

"It's great to see you too Barb." The two friends sat down together, arms linked chatting idly about their summers apart. As more people filed in, the discussion switched to gossip and information.

"So who is everyone, what house are they in, and what is their status?" Branwen, the shyer of the two demanded. Pointing her finger in the direction of the shaggy haired boy, Barbara began the run down.

"That is Austin Crump, Hufflepuff prefect, mudblood." Nodding her head towards the slender boy, she continued, "And that is Tom Riddle, Head boy from Slytherin, half-blood." The head girl inspected her counterpart. She had heard of him, seen him around school and last year when she was a prefect. He was very intelligent, although withdrawn. He always seemed to have this particular group of friends he would talk to, but he didn't really seem all that close to any of them. He was the perfect student and gentleman, which unnerved Branwen greatly. She knew from her own life that the more people seem flawless, the more they are hiding- and he was just a little too perfect.

Her reverie was interrupted when Barbara let out a sharp gasp. Her friend looked up to see what the cause was, fearing it was the one person in the world she did not want to see. Instead, she laid eyes on a rather tall ginger-haired boy with light green eyes. She gave a questioning look to the girl next to her, who snapped out of it immediately.

"That is James Weasley, prefect from Gryffindor, pureblood, although his family is dirt-poor and fascinated with muggles." Barbara put on the air of most purebloods, making the other girl suspicious. Before she had a chance to interrogate her, they were approached by the boy in question.

"Hello, my name is James Weasley from Gryffindor, it is nice to meet you." He held out his hand towards Branwen, a big lopsided smile on his face.

"Branwen Black from Ravenclaw," She said taking his hand with a polite smile on her face, before introducing the girl next to her. "This is a distant cousin of mine, Barbara Lestrange from Ravenclaw." Barbara smiled, a faint blush on her cheeks as she took his outstretched hand. They held hands for a moment too long, telling Branwen all she needed to know.

"It would appear you two already know each other though." The other girl's eyes widened slightly, fearing her cousin would freak out and let the whole world know her secret. Branwen surprised her by standing up and pulling the unsuspecting redhead into a big hug. "Treat her right" was all she whispered into his ear, but it was enough to get a deep blush to cross his face. He looked down at her confused, but she simply smiled back up at him and winked. Barbara, who never thought things through, practically jumped on her dear friend, making them fall in a head on the seat behind them. James walked away, a grin on his face, to meet the other prefects present. When the girls finally stopped giggling, They noticed the person standing in from of them. They stood up, straightening their clothes and hair, before looking up at the black haired boy.

"Tom Riddle from Slytherin, head boy" He introduced himself, his hand politely outstretched, small smile gracing his lips. His counterpart and fellow prefect looked at his hand like it was a foreign plant they weren't quite sure what to think of.

"Branwen Black from Ravenclaw, head girl." She nodded her head politely as she introduced herself.

"Barbara Lestrange, from Ravenclaw. What do you want?" She demanded crossing her arms. Tom lowered his arm, eyes darkening slightly at the rude girl.

"I wanted to meet the head girl, as well as the prefects I will be working with this year."

"Well now you have, anything else?" Tom shook his head and grabbed Branwen's hand, giving it a chaste kiss on the knuckles. Branwen, who had gone into a sort of frozen state when her cousin first spoke, immediately snapped out of it and yanked her hand somewhat discreetly away. Tom ignored this and gave a slight bow.

"It was a pleasure meeting you Ms. Black, Ms. Lestrange." He straightened and walked back towards Weasley, shaking his hand.

"He... He kissed my hand! The nerve of that guy!" Branwen furiously whispered wiping her hand on her robe. Although she could wipe away the little moisture from his mouth, she could not rid herself of the lingering burn that simple gesture had left behind. Barbara shot daggers at his back clearly outraged as well.

"That guy has some nerves!" She said back. Unbeknownst to them, someone had been watching both encounters, and was furious. Icy gray-blue eyes glared at them as the owner prowled over to them, until he was standing only a foot behind them. He cleared his throat, interrupting their angry whispers. Branwen stiffened as she turned, her usual serene mask in place. Abraxas Malfoy, her fiance, stood there, not bothering to hide his anger. Barbara simply returned his glare, but in a more subtle way.

"May I speak to you privately Black?" The tension in his voice made the people nearby look over to see what was going on. She nodded, false smile in place as she turned and walked towards the corridor. They walked to his personal cubicle and entered. The moment the door was closed, and curtains drawn, Abraxas slapped her across the face, knocking her to the ground. She scrambled as far away from him as possible as he yelled at her.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT BRANWEN?! You tramp, flirting with every guy in that room!" He slapped her again before picking her up by her throat, not giving her a chance to respond. He threw her onto one of the benches, jabbing his finger at her. "You are MY fiance, and you will start acting like it! Don't go behind my back and whore yourself off again, do you hear me?!" She nodded her head immediately, fearing another hard slap. He turned on his heal, combed his fingers through his hair, taking a deep breath before walking out of the room and back to the gathering of prefects.

Branwen started hyperventilating and raised her hand to her throat. This was not the first time he had done this to her, but it didn't change how much it effected her. She sat there for a long while, walking down memory lane of how things used to be between them. Abraxas used to be so kind- maybe not the most affectionate person, but always a gentleman- until fourth year. Something had changed, and she was still trying to figure out what. Branwen still hoped the man she loved was still in there somewhere, and hoped she could get him back. If not, she knew what her life would be like, and she wouldn't be able to handle it.

The door opened and closed silently. She waited to be yelled at, hit, thrown, anything, but nothing happened. Slowly she turned and looked up at the head boy, whose face went from being impassive to a look of shock. His eyes scanned over her, taking in the new bruising, the tears running down her cheeks, her ragged breathing. Tom had never had to deal with a distraught woman before, so he was out of his comfort zone. Slowly, he sat next to her, waiting for her to speak- after all, women were known for constantly talking. When the silence stretched on, he finally spoke.

"Are you alright?" She looked at him as if her were some strange creature, an alien. She shook her head and let out a small, crazy giggle.

"You know, you are the first person to ask me that in years. No I am not ok... but there is nothing I can do about it." Her voice was just a whisper when she finished. Branwen closed her eyes, trying to fight back the flood of tears, but the moment Riddle reached out and grabbed her hand, the dam of emotions she had been holding back broke. She threw her arms around him and cried without restraint. Tom, unsure of what to do, just rubbed her back.

Branwen wasn't sure how long she sat there like that, crying on his shoulder as he comforted her. She could tell that he was uncomfortable with the situation, and tried to stop, to back up away from him, but he held her close until she was done. She pushed away from him and wiped her eyes, giving him an apologetic look. Once she was composed enough that Riddle knew she wouldn't break down again, he started asking her questions.

"What happened?" She stiffened, narrowing her eyes.

"I don't see how that is any of your business."

"Normally, I would agree. However, since you are clearly upset, it may affect your judgment, therefore your ability to be head girl." Branwen visibly bristled._ How _dare_ he question her capabilities to do her duties!_

"I assure you, I am very capable to separate my personal life from my responsibilities! I have been doing so for quite some time, and I haven't heard any complaints!" She crossed her arms, daring him to challenge her. He nodded his head, stood and headed for the door. She panicked and grabbed his hand, forcing him to pause. He looked down at her fearful expression, reading the plea in her eyes. He nodded his head, acknowledging her request by looking out the curtain to see if anyone was in the hall. When the coast was clear, he slid out discreetly, leaving her to collect herself. Branwen stood, straightened her robes and hair so she looked presentable. She looked around for a scarf, and quickly wrapped it around her neck before she left the cubicle and headed back to the meeting.

The rest of the train ride was fairly uneventful. The prefects discussed their shifts for making sure all students were in their dorms and not lurking the halls after-hours. They also listed off troublemakers to be on the lookout for. The last thing that was discussed was the new curriculum that would be given to the seventh years. None of them knew what exactly it was going to be, so they were throwing out guesses such as job preparation, home economics, spells for daily lives, and other off the wall things. Once the meeting was adjourned, the prefects spread out, notifying students of their arrival.

When the train came to a stop, students fought to get out. The "student police" as they were called, checked for luggage, pets, or even students that were left behind. Luckily, very little was left behind. They filed out and waited for the last carriages to arrive. Three carriages rolled to a stop in front of the small group. Abraxas Malfoy, Kerri Avery, Carlisle Davies, and Pomona Sprout climbed into the first carriage. Austin Crump, Barbara Lestrange, James Weasley, and Minevera McGonagall climbed into the second carriage, leaving the last one for the head boy and girl.

They approached their carriage slowly, both looking at the creatures driving the vehicle. Thestrals were beautiful in a morbid sort of way, since the only people who can see them are those that have witnessed death. Riddle paid close attention to Branwen's face, the expressions that ran across it as she looked at the animal. He held open the door for her, helping her in before climbing up after her. They lurched into motion as they rode to Hogwarts, their reprieve, home away from home. They stared out the windows, viewing the landscape under the full moon. Time passed in an uneasy silence before it was broken.

"So why were you placed in Ravenclaw?" a simple enough question, he thought, but for some reason, it made his counterpart bristle.

"I am in Ravenclaw because I am intelligent, and fairly unselfish." She huffed irritably. "Why are you in Slytherin?" A small smirk crossed his usually blank face. It held a sort of dark, ironic look to it.

"For my cunning personality, family legacy to uphold." The was he spat out the last part had Branwen raising one eyebrow, but he didn't explain any further. Instead he changed the subject by asking, "So how long has that been going on?" Branwen knew immediately what he was referring to and stiffened.

"I don't see why my relationship is any of your business." Riddle raised his hands in a defensive manner.

"I am not trying to pry, merely curious. Let me rephrase; has he always treated you like this?" Her face became melancholy as she thought back to how things used to be. She shook her head, but didn't speak afraid her voice would crack. Tom merely nodded his head in understanding, expression thoughtful. "Do you know what made him change?" His counterpart glared daggers at him, but not quite because of what he asked. She was mad he was prying, but angrier with herself for not having an answer to the second question.

"I have no bloody clue, not that you need to know any of this! Malfoy is my betrothed, and what happens between us is private! Not another question about it, or so help me, I will crucio your sorry arse until you become insane!" She yelled at him crossing her arms as she stared out the window.

They were silent the rest of the ride to Hogwarts. The closest they came to speaking again was when they noticed what looked to be a small town on the school grounds, but no actual words were exchanged. When they came to a stop, Branwen bolted out of the carriage in a whirlwind and headed for the Great Hall for the annual feast.

She walked in scanning the four long tables for her friend Barbara. The first years had already been sorted through and placed in one of the four houses, so the festivities were in full swing. She noticed a girl with a blue and gray scarf draped around her shoulders waving her hands at her, so she rushed over and sat down. Everyone was pigging out on their favorite dishes, chatting amongst themselves, or shouting halfway down the tables. Laughter rang throughout the hall, until Headmaster Dippet Stood at the podium up front and waited for the hall to quiet down.

"Welcome back to Hogwarts children. It is now time to head to your dorms, but before you do, I have an announcement to make. There has been a new curriculum added to seventh years schedule. As I am sure many of you noticed, there is a village on the school grounds now, where you will be living. Prefects will you please stand and lead your first years to their dorms. Seventh years, please stay behind and follow us to your homes for the year." When he was done speaking, the hall was in an uproar- prefects yelling to be heard over all of the students, questions, outraged remarks, excited comments being said all over the place. The students slowly filed out of the Great Hall into the corridors and off to their respective houses, leaving the seventh years behind. Professor Dumbledore stood and looked out over the students, a small smile gracing his lips with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Seventh years, this project is an experiment. We want your honest opinions on it at the end of the year. Please follow me to where you will be staying." Everyone followed the professors out to the grounds, apprehension in the air.

A/N: Chapter one is out! I hope you have enjoyed it. I did warn you that it has its... dark scenes, and this one is very mild compared to what will be coming in future chapters. Anyway! PLEASE Review and let me know what you think, give me your input! Next chapter Should be out shortly! My writer's block is gone at the moment, so I am taking full advantage of this! Enjoy and thank you so much for all of your support!

I want to give a shout out to Lorna Roxen and flute123 for being the first to follow my fanfic. That means so much to me! =)


	3. Chapter 2: Marriage Ceremony

Chapter Two: Marriage Ceremony

They arrived outside of the village. The view in front of them was beautiful. The entire little town had a wooden fence wrapped in ivy vines surrounding it. There were lanterns throughout the place lighting up the paths. At the entrance of the village was an archway wrapped in white roses, fireflies flying all around, twinkling making the place seem even more beautiful than any place most of them have ever seen. They stood in a large group waiting for either Professor Dumbledore of Headmaster Dippet to speak. Professor Dumbledore steps forward and smiles at each individual student.

"I am sure you are all very curious about what this project is about. Many of you will be going straight from school into the married life. To better prepare you for this, we have decided that you will have a fake marriage beforehand. Each of you have been assigned to a partner. Before we list off the partners, let me explain what this will include." He paused, giving the students a chance to talk excitedly amongst themselves.

"There will be a small wedding ceremony that will be explained later on. The husband will be given an assigned job that he will go to after school and on the weekends while the wife stays at home, cooks and cleans. At dinnertime, you will be eating as a couple in your home. You will have a journal that you are expected to write in daily. Every Tuesday and Thursday after lunch, you will stay in the Great Hall where you will have a class that will teach you useful things for the married life. Once a week, you are expected to go on a date with your spouse. The final thing is about the holidays. You must spend the holidays together, be it here in your own home, or with one of your families." There was a slight uproar when Dumbledore paused in his explanation. Some students were upset over the holiday part, the jobs and roles they would be put in for the year. When they quieted down, he continued.

"Also, there will be a surprise for second semester. Let me warn you, there are spells over the village and each individual cottage to prevent any wrongdoings or inappropriate behavior. Each house is marked with a placard of whose home it is. Now, we have a volunteer from the ministry to perform the ceremony. He will explain the rest." Out of nowhere, a young Barty Crouch appeared. He looked nervous and jittery as he spoke.

"My name is Mr. Crouch. The headmaster will call off your names and you will step forward, wand in hand. You will place the tips of your wands together and your free hand will hold your partner's. Once you are in this position, you must not speak anything but the vows. Once you repeat your vows, you will be given the chance to add whatever else you would like. When both of you are finished, you will share a chaste kiss before heading to your home for the year. The husband _must_ carry his wife over the threshold." When he finished students everywhere were giggling, yelling in outrage or standing stock still. Headmaster Dippet cleared his throat as he pulled out a list from his robes.

"I know this is a bit much, but it will help better your lives once you enter into your actual marriage. It is time for the first couple to come up. Barbara Lestrange, and James Weasley, please come forward." Barb looked up at her cousin, eyes wide. Branwen squeezed her hand, and gave her the necessary push to go forward with James by her side. They went to stand under the archway. Branwen was too far back to hear anything. She noticed a pink light coming out of their wands and wrapping around their connected hands. James leaned down and kissed Barbara, and the light disappear. They held hands as they walked into the town towards their home.

Couple by couple, they were called up. Each time, a light appeared from the wands, different colors for each pair. Everyone waited nervously to be called up. Branwen kept looking nervously at all of the guys in the group, wandering who her partner would be. Each time she scanned the remaining group, she saw Abraxas, watching her. She silently prayed that he would not be the one she would be stuck with. It would be too soon to start the hell that she already knew would be her life. She was forced out of her reverie when her name was finally called. Keaira Mae Longbottom, the Gryffindor standing next to her, gently shook her shoulder before giving her a light shove forward. She closed her eyes and walked forward. She opened them whenever she was close and saw who her partner was. It was Tom Marvolo Riddle.

He was standing there, his face blank. With the light from the village and the fireflies outlined him, making him look like a knight with a dark side. When Branwen was standing in front of him, he held out his wand and other hand for hers. She slowly grabbed his hand and pressed the tip of her wand to his and looked at Mr. Crouch. Upon closer look, the guy had beady eyes, and greasy hair.

"Tom, repeat after me, ' I, Tom Marvolo Riddle, do solemnly swear to cherish you, provide for you and our family, and honor our vows from now until the end of the school year.'" Tom nodded his head and looked Branwen in the eyes as he repeated the words slowly. His voice sounded rich, husky, and slightly shaky, as if he were nervous about making such a promise. When he finished, she looked down and noticed a golden light stream wrapping around her wrist and ring finger. It was glowing very bright, brighter than she expected.

"Branwen, repeat after me, 'I Branwen Regina Black, do solemnly swear to care for you, nurture you and our family in every way, and honor our vows until the end of the school year.'" She nervously repeated the words, not really paying attention to what they were, she was too focused on the deep brown eyes staring back at her. She looked down when she was done and noticed that the same golden string of light had wrapped itself around his wrist and ring finger.

"Now is when you may add whatever you would like to, to your vows." He looked at Tom and waited for him to speak. Branwen looked up at him, not expecting him to say anything else.

"I promise to be truthful and honest. I will not cheat or desecrate our marriage in any way. I will treat you as my equal. I vow to protect you in every way I can and care for you in your times of need." Branwen's eyes widened with each word he said. The look in his eyes was so sincere, she felt dizzy. When he said the last part, she knew exactly what he was trying to convey- that he would protect her from Abraxas as much as he could. Tears welled up in her eyes and she hurriedly blinked them away giving him a small smile.

"I promise to be open with you. I will not betray you or our marriage in any way. I vow to.." She paused for a moment, worried about what she was about to say. However, she went with her instincts and continued, "to love you to my best abilities, through any hardships that may come our way." His eyes widened at the last part, and he shifted uncomfortably at that.

"You may now kiss the bride." With those words said, Riddle slowly leaned down towards Branwen. She held still, and closed her eyes as his lips brushed against hers. It was not what she expected her wedding kiss to be like, but it wasn't as bad as she feared either. It held a sort of tingle to it, but it wasn't overwhelming like she read in her books. He pulled away and they turned towards the man before them. His eyes were wide for a moment, but he shook his head slightly before moving aside.

"Make sure you hold hands as you take your first steps as man and wife. Mr. Riddle, you are to carry your new bride over the threshold." Tom nodded his understanding and held out his hand for his new wife. She looked down at it, unsure if she really wanted to hold his hand. Hesitantly, she reached out and wrapped her hand around his as they slowly made their way to their home for the year.

They made their way slowly through the little town, reading each placard to find their home. The houses all seemed to be the same in design. There were two steps leading up to a patio with two rocking chairs with a small table in between. There were hanging plants everywhere, and lights along the length of the overhang. Next to each placard was an ornate lantern flickering, casting shadows across the wall behind it. Just like the gates of the village, Ivy climbed up to the railings around each patio, up the walls and support beams of the overhang. It gave the houses a surreal, fantasy look to them. The "newly-weds" held each others hands until they came across a house a bit larger than the rest. They read the ivory plaque reading "The Riddles Family" before walking up the steps. The moment their feet touched the patio, Tom picked Branwen up, making her let out a low squeal as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He opened the front door with ease and walked into the house, closing the door behind them before gently setting her down on her feet.

Branwen took in their quaint little living room first. Next to the front door was a coat rack and a small table with two house keys resting on it, On the other side was a door. She opened it to find two broomsticks, a regular broom and dustpan, mop, bucket, and vacuum. She closed the door and looked back into the living room. There was a large black couch with a matching love seat, a coffee table made of mahogany on top of a royal blue rug. In between the two couches was an end table with a lamp on top of it. On the far right wall was a fireplace made of stone, with a mantle above it. In the corner of the living room was a potted plant of morning glories. The floors were cherry wood. It was breathtaking in its simplicity.

She walked further into the house to the back of the living room, where the dining room was. There was an average sized circular table with two chairs on opposite ends. On the wall to the right by the hallway were two extra chairs. In the center of the table was a vase with red roses, two journals resting against the base. They both picked one up, noticing their names engraved on the bottom corner. Gently setting it back down, Branwen continued her exploring with the kitchen. The counter tops were made of black marble. There was a stove, fridge, dish rack, coffee maker, and toaster. All of the cabinets were made of cherry wood like the floor throughout the house. The sink was large, the faucet silver. She exited the kitchen and went to the door in between the kitchen and dining room. Tom stood behind her as she looked out the window to view their little backyard. There were all manner of flowers, and a vegetable garden as well. Branwen accidentally bumped into the man standing behind her, who immediately moved out of her way, letting her guide the exploration of the house.

She went down one of the hallways, to the right of the kitchen, and noticed three doors. She opened the first one on the left wall to see a small guest bathroom. The walls were a pale blue, the shower curtains had a seashell design. The floor was white tile like in the kitchen and dining room. She closed the door and went to the one on the right. Inside there were two desks. One on the left wall, the other on the right. On the back wall was a futon for when guests stayed the night. One of the desks was sporting items with the Ravenclaw colors, while the other had the Slytherin colors. She closed that door, and went to the final one at the end of the hallway. The door was locked, so she led Tom down the hall past the living room and dining area to the other hallway. There was only one door at the end of it. She opened it and immediately froze.

It was the master bedroom, where they would be sleeping. There was a very large canopy bed with silver curtains tied to the bed posts that could fit three large adults comfortably. It had forest green covers with royal blue sheets and pillow cases. The problem was that there was only one bed. On both sides of the bed were night stands. One the left wall was a vanity with a rather large mirror. To the left of the door was a large dresser. On the right wall were two more doors. Branwen went to the closest one and opened it to find a small walk-in closet. She went to the next door which was the bathroom. It had two sinks and a large counter in between. There was also a deep oval tub to the right and a shower area straight ahead. The walls were Sky blue, ocean theme just like in the guest bathroom.

Branwen closed the door and turned around to find Tom leaning against one of the bed posts, staring at the bed as if it were the enemy. She slowly approached him until he looked at her. She froze where she was, taking in his appearance. She hadn't noticed how much taller he was than her. He had to be a good six inches taller than her, and she wasn't all that short. He was slim, with fairly broad shoulders, and carried himself in a way that reminded her of a predator about to pounce on its prey. His hair was more of a very black, a sort of curling wave at the front. His eyes were what really puzzled her though. They seemed distant, closed off, much like the door at the other end of the hallway- locked but waiting to be opened. His cheekbones were sharp and angular, nose straight and thin. Her gaze lowered to his mouth. His lips were a pale pink, lower lip just a little fuller than his thin upper lip.

"If you would like, I will sleep on the couch, and you can take the bed." Branwen nearly jumped out of her skin when she was startled out of her thoughts. Neither of them had spoken since their vows.

"Do you plan on sleeping there the entire year?" She put her hands on her hips as she scoffed, not giving him the chance to respond. "I don't think so. We are supposed to treat this as if it were a real marriage, so we will share the bed, unless you still believe in cooties." She teased as he narrowed his eyes at her. For a reason unbeknownst to Tom, Branwen tilted her head, giving him a curious look. "Why did you say what you said?" Tom thought she meant the sleeping arrangement suggestion, so he gave her an incredulous look.

"Well I thought you would feel more comfortable sleeping by yo-" He stopped when he noticed her rolling her eyes as she sighed.

"Not the bed! I am talking about your vows, the last part you said." His eyes widened momentarily before he recollected himself. He seemed to be smirking inwardly before he looked back at her, face neutral as ever.

"I said what I thought any decent husband would say to the woman they would be spending the rest of their lives with. The other reason, because I know I will be able to keep those promises to the best of my ability. As for the part of protecting you.." He trailed off as he watched her reaction as the curiosity slipped a bit and her eyes widened. "I may not know the.. particulars of your relationship with Malfoy, but for the school year, you are my wife, not his betrothed." He emphasized the last part before continuing, "As my wife, it is my duty to protect you from others. Besides, you clearly need a break from him. You have the rest of your life to deal with him, why not take advantage of the reprieve?" There was a silence that stretched on for a while as he let the carefully worded speech sink in before he asked what has been on his mind since there little ceremony. "Since we are talking about our vows, would you care to explain yours?" A blush slowly spread across her cheeks as she looked away.

"For similar reasons as you- I knew I would be able to keep my promises to the best of my abilities. Plus..." She whispered the last word, not bothering to finish her sentence out loud. _Plus I wanted to make our fake marriage the way I want my real one to be... I want to make this last year a happy one... filled with the one thing I know the hellhole that will be my life won't have... love._ She thought to herself as she stared at the floor, crossing her arms in a comforting way. Riddle, although very curious to know what she was going to say, didn't question her further. Instead he went over to where their suitcases were and brought hers over to her while removing his own things and filled his side of the dresser. They unpacked in silence, lost in their own minds. When they were done, Tom left the room, pajamas in hand to head to the guest bathroom while she changed in the master bathroom. When she walked back into the room, Tom was there waiting for her.

"What side of the bed would you like to sleep on?" She stared at the bed for a moment, before pointing to the right side. He nodded his head, just staring at her. She looked at him, a questioning look on her face waiting for him to say whatever was on his mind.

"Before we crawl into the bed... I was wondering how you wanted to handle the.. physical portion of our marriage." Both of them shifted uncomfortably, unable to look the other in the eyes.

"Professor Dumbledore said there were spells to prevent that sort of.."

"Good god woman! I didn't mean sexual stuff! I meant the holding hands, hugging, kissing, snuggling up by the fire, dates and stuff." Exasperated and more than a little embarrassed, he sat on his edge of the bed, shaking his head as he covered his face with his hands. Her face by this point was very red.

"Well how do you want to deal with all of that?" She asked sitting as far away from him as possible on the bed. He looked up at her thoughtfully.

"How real do you want this marriage to be?" At that she looked at the ground, playing with her fingers, as was her nervous habit.

"The professor said he wanted us to treat it as if it were an actual marriage. I mean, wasn't that why we had that blasted ceremony and everything?" She looked at him to gauge his reaction. He seemed to mull the words over in his head, giving a slight nod. He stood and walked over to her, hand held out for hers.

"Since we will be treating this as if it were real, may I help you up and into bed my wife?" He had a slight smirk on his face, which helped her relax as she grabbed his hand allowing him to help pull her to her feet. He overestimated his strength making her crash against his chest. Once they were both steady on their feet, he awkwardly leaned down, placing a quick kiss on her cheek before walking her to her side of the bed and pulling back the covers.

"Sleep well Branwen" Was all he said as he turned off the lights and climbed into bed on the other side. Once they were both comfortable, and drifting off into the realm of dreams, Branwen whispered, "Goodnight Tom.."

A/N: Thank you so much for reading my fanfic! I hope it is an enjoyable read. I am going to continue writing as much as I can, and pray my writer's block doesn't come back! =/ Anyway, Please review and let me know your opinions, suggestions, etc. etc. I would love to hear them!


	4. Chapter 3: The First Day of Married Life

Chapter Three: First Day of the Married Life

Branwen stretched lazily when she woke up, only to realize that there was an arm draped across her waste. Dazed and confused, she opened her eyes to find herself facing a sleeping Tom Riddle. Everything came flooding back to her; to train and carriage ride, the new curriculum, the ceremony, and the kiss. When the last part hit her, she scrambled away from him until she fell to the floor.

Riddle sat up with a start, wand in hand. He leaned over to the edge of the bed and looked down at the disheveled Ravenclaw, still trying to remember why she was there. When it dawned on him as to why she was there and where they were, he lowered his wand and smirked.

"Well good morning to you too Mrs. Riddle." She glared up at him a blush slowly spread across her face. She stood up, straightening her tussled pajamas and hair, trying to look a bit more dignified than she felt, and walked over to the dresser to grab a fresh change of clothes for the day. She headed to the restroom only to pause when Tom spoke.

"Branwen, what was your nightmare about?" She tensed, but didn't turn to look at him as she responded.

"What are you talking about?"

"You were tossing and turning, mumbling things like 'no, don't please'. It wasn't until I reached out and grabbed your hand that you calmed down." She couldn't bring herself to face him, so instead she adopted a cold tone to make it clear this subject was off limits.

"My dreams or nightmares are none of your concern." She slammed the bathroom door behind her and leaned up against it breathing hard. The nightmare was a reoccurring one that she had memorized every detail of it, and knew what would happen before it did, But last night, it had ended differently than normal, and now she knew why. Slowly, she wiped away the tears that had escaped her eyes without her realizing it, and headed for the shower.

Branwen finished getting ready and opened the door to find Riddle standing there, holding her bag and scarf as a sort of peace offering. She took them and headed for the kitchen and began looking around for something to make for breakfast. Tom was already pouring coffee in two to-go mugs, handing one to her when she stood from examining the pantry shelves.

"We don't have time to eat breakfast at home. We should just grab a quick bite to eat from the Great Hall." She nodded her head in agreement as they headed out of their house, locking the door behind them. They walked in silence down the winding paths between other houses of their little village.

As they neared the exit of the enclosed town, Branwen noticed two people standing just outside the gate. One was tall with reddish orange hair, the other, short black hair. She picked up her pace as her cousin turned to look at her. Barbara froze mid-wave when she noticed who was with Branwen, but quickly recovered from the shock. Branwen and Tom came to a halt just in front of the other couple.

"Good morning Brawnie! Are you ready for your first day of the married life?" Barb jokingly jabbed her cousin in her side before giving her a big hug. Tom grabbed their fallen bags and schoolbooks and handed them to their respective owners.

"Good morning Mr. and Mrs. Weasley" He gave a slight bow to Barbara and held out his hand to James, who immediately pulled him into a one-armed hug.

"Hey mate, welcome to the crazy family of stuck-up prats." Riddle straightened himself out, giving a curt nod as he turned to the redhead's partner.

"I hope you are satisfied with your partner cousin." He said as he draped his arm around Branwen's shoulders. Barbara blushed slightly, but noticed her friend's discomfort and tugged her away from Tom.

"If you men don't mind, my cousin and I are going to walk and talk privately, so do keep your distance." The bold black-haired female stated as she sent individual glares at both of them. Weasley simply nodded as he slung his arm around Riddle.

"Great! Now we can whine to each other about what horrors lay ahead of us being married to you two." Both women stuck their tongue out at him and looped arms together as they strolled ahead of the guys. Not even five seconds later, Barbara was already rambling about her experience last night. She paused for a moment, before she continued in a completely different direction.

"I am glad your partner is Riddle." Stunned, Branwen just looked at the hazel eyed girl.

"I thought you said you didn't like him because of the vibes you get from him." Barbara simply shrugged.

"Well yeah, I don't really like him, but he has to be better than Malfoy." She wrinkled her nose in distaste. Branwen looked down at their moving feet, having almost completely forgotten about her actual fiance until then.

"I have something to tell you.." She looked up into the waiting eyes of her cousin before continuing, "Last night I had one of my nightmares..." Barbara interrupted.

"What happened? Did he notice?" Branwen nodded her head grimly.

"He said he reached out and grabbed my hand to calm me down, and when I woke up, his arm was on mine." She paused for a moment, thinking over how to explain the rest. "The freaky thing is.. my nightmare was different. It stopped about halfway in, and just changed in a pleasant dream." Barbara tripped over her own foot, causing them both to fall. The boys came running to help them up, bringing an end to their conversation.  
They walked into Hogwarts and headed for the Great Hall. Once inside, they went to their respective tables to grab a quick bite to eat. Clearly, none of the "wives" had cooked breakfast that morning since many of the seventh years were there doing the same thing. Branwen felt a few glares being sent her way, specifically from a pair of icy-blue eyes at the Slytherin table. She ignored them as she quickly spread butter and strawberry jam on a piece of toast and headed out into the hallway. Abraxas got up to follow her, not paying attention to the fact that Riddle had stood up as well, and was hot on his heels.

When Branwen turned down a secluded corridor, Malfoy shoved her into the nearest wall, making her drop everything, wand included.

"I don't know what you did to get Riddle as your partner you little tramp, but you will pay for it. I told you that you are _mine_! I warned you that if I caught you whoring yourself out again, you would suffer for it." He paused glaring at her. "How _dare_ you kiss that half breed. Did you screw him the moment you were alone with him?!" Malfoy went to slap her across the face, but was stopped when Riddle grabbed his wrist in an iron hold. Tom threw the other boy against the wall by Branwen and pointed his wand at his throat. He seemed calm, composed, even bored, but his posture was rigid, like a wolf about to go in for the kill.

"I suggest, Malfoy, that for the remainder of the year, you stay away from my _wife_. She may be your betrothed in reality, but for the school year, for this project, she is not yours. I hope you learn some manners and calm this temper of yours before your wedding day. Don't let me catch you even whispering negative things about Branwen, or I will rip slivers of skin off of your body, do I make myself clear?" Malfoy glared at him but gave a nod nonetheless. Branwen stood frozen as Abraxas stormed off and her "husband" grabbed her fallen items for the second time that morning.

He held out his arm for her before they walked in silence towards her first class of the year. After a few minutes, he stopped, causing her to look up at him in confusion.

"You haven't eaten your toast. Why don't we sit here for a minute and finish our breakfast." He suggested while he took her bag from her arm. She leaned against the wall and nibbled on her toast, occasionally taking a sip of her lukewarm coffee. Riddle ate his bagel, watching her for some sort of breakdown- it didn't happen during their little breakfast. When they finished, he offered his arm again, but held onto her bag. Branwen was grateful that he didn't ask any questions, because she knew she would break down in tears if he did. A few turns later, they were standing in front of Professor Flitwick's class. Riddle handed her bag to her and draped his arm around her shoulders.  
"Shouldn't you be heading to your class?" He simply shook his head.

"I am not leaving until your cousin or Weasley show up." She nodded, glad he was staying. She leaned against him as they waited for Barbara and James to show up. It wasn't long before they did. Tom turned and grabbed Branwen's shoulders looking her in the eyes.

"I will meet you here when class is over and walk with you to wherever your next class is, ok?" She nodded as he kissed her forehead and took off down the hall to wherever his class was. She turned to see the questioning look on her friend's faces, but shook her head and headed in to find a seat.

Class was a blur for the head girl. She barely remembered going over what they had learned last year; different wand techniques and the spells to use them with. She took notes, ignored her cousin and her questioning whispers. She wrote down her homework assignment, and practiced the spells, completely focused on the task in front of her. Barbara wouldn't drop the subject of this morning's events until Branwen shot her a glare. Class was over before she knew it, and she packed her bag slowly. She didn't really believe Tom when he said he would meet her and walk to their class together, but was surprised when he was standing at the doorway, waiting for her. She offered a small smile as she took his arm and waited for Barbara to join them. They headed off to the school grounds where the Care for Magical Creatures class was going to be held for the year.

The class was near the edge of the forbidden forest, where the school had a section for different types of creatures, but this year there was a new edition to their usual class area- a small one-person cottage. Standing by Professor Kettleburn was a tall, half giant student who had been expelled the previous year, with a big bushy beard that was hard to differentiate from his equally messy brown hair. When they reached the group of students who had already gathered, Riddle froze, an almost angry perplexed look on his face. He didn't even give the professor time to address the class.

"Excuse me, Professor Kettleburn, why is Rubeus here? He was expelled and shouldn't be on school property." The professor glared at the head boy as he primly responded.

"Headmaster Dippet has graciously allowed Mr. Hagrid to stay on and learn the ropes of being a groundskeeper, so he will be with us For the year. I suggest you start calling him Professor Hagrid, as he is now part of the staff." Tom stayed silent, mouth in a tight, disapproving frown. "Now, if we are done speculating over our groundskeeper in training, why don't we begin class?"

The professor started discussing the different types of creatures they would be going over this year, and how the main theme was that they were all considered pets, common and uncommon alike. Branwen only paid some attention, as she could feel where Malfoy was standing only a little to her left behind her. She unconsciously tightened her grip on Riddle's arm. Tom ignored it though, and continued writing notes. Lucky for him, he was left-handed. The professor told them he wanted a six inch paper on each individual creature by next Monday. Class was dismissed a little early, so they headed to the Great Hall for lunch. The moment Barb and Branwen sat down, the interrogation began.

"Are you going to explain what happened this morning that Riddle was acting so protective over you?" Branwen sighed as she finished chewing her food.

"Malfoy had cornered me, and my 'husband' found us." Her friend's eyes widened, as she thought that over.

"What exactly happened? Did that prat hit you?" Branwen shook her head, her mouth full of food. "What did he want?"

"He was upset that I was partnered with Riddle and not him." Barbara sent a death glare towards the offending blonde.

"How did he react?" Branwen gave her a curious look, which received an eye roll for her not being able to keep up with the shorter girl's line of thinking. "Riddle, how did he handle the situation?" Branwen shrugged looking down at her food as she answered.

"He pulled Malfoy off of me and told him to leave me alone for the remainder of the year. Then Malfoy just walked away." Barbara knew there was more to it than that, but heard the note of finality in her cousin's voice and knew the subject was over. They finished eating in silence, except for the minor gossip of the other couples and how they thought they would go. They were laughing at who Malfoy had ended up with- the feistiest Gryffindor they knew of, Keaira Mae Longbottom- and how she wouldn't put up with his crap. Riddle cleared his throat directly behind Branwen, Weasley showing up shortly after him.

"Are you ladies ready to head home for the evening?" Riddle asked politely. The girls nodded, and stood with the help of the boys. Weasley, deciding to follow the head boy's lead, grabbed Barbara's bag and held out his arm for her to take. Happily surprised by his chivalry, she giggled and they headed to their little town.

They were in their cozy home, unsure of what to do now. Branwen looked around, thinking about how she was supposed to keep the house picked up, and decided to get started on her chores. She went into the kitchen and cleaned the coffee pot, preparing it for the next day, as well as their mugs. There was no other mess in the room, so she went to check on the guest restroom. She did a little bit of tidying, before heading to the bedroom. She made the bed, picked up the dirty clothes and put them in the hamper in the restroom, and cleaned up in there. She was done in less than half an hour.

She walked out into the living room and sat down on the love seat. She couldn't really think of anything else to do, and conversation just wasn't her forte. Thankfully, Riddle had the perfect solution.

"Branwen, would you like to copy my notes from Care for Magical Creatures?" She smiled and nodded heading to the spare room. The notes, to her surprise, were well-written, detailed, almost word for word. She copied the notes quickly, grabbing her schoolbooks to help with her homework for charms. She went to the kitchen and put the kettle on the stove to make a cup of tea. She wasn't really sure what Riddle preferred to drink, but figured she would make him a cup as well. She brought him his notes and the cup of tea, and waited for him to pause in his journal writing before she asked her questions. He looked up at her as she handed him the two items.

"I thought you might like some tea, and I wanted to thank you for the notes." She paused, trying to figure out how to word her questions, but opted for being blunt. "What do you like to eat?" His eyes widened slightly as he took a sip of his drink, pondering on the question.

"I am honestly not a picky eater, but I do like shepherd's pie, and any lamb dishes." Branwen nodded, waiting for him to continue. When he didn't, she let out a small sigh.

"What about side dishes for the lamb? What about drinks?"

"Well, peas and carrots have become my favorites. Potatoes of any kind are always good. As for drinks, I love pumpkin juice." Branwen nodded and headed to the kitchen. She had never really cooked before, but she knew lamb was on the more difficult side to cook. She grabbed one of the cookbooks in the spices cabinet, and flipped through it. Lamb Chops looked to be simpler of the dishes listed, so she decided to cook that. She rummaged through the kitchen for necessary ingredients, pots and pans. Once she had found them all, she began cooking.

Riddle sat in the living room writing in his journal. He heard the noises from the kitchen, occasional shriek, and feared what dinner would be like. He could tell she had never cooked before, and prayed he wouldn't get food poisoning. He looked down at what he was writing.

_I finally understand a bit more about why Branwen acts shy and timid at times. He seems to degrade her every chance he gets, about anything. She seems unwilling to discuss anything related to her engagement, which could complicate my plans a bit. She is as stuck up as the rest of them. Clearly all purebloods are selfish. __They are probably taught from a young age to be that way._

_ The strange thing about her though, she doesn't shy away from my touch, and seems almost happy I am her partner, her 'husband'. I am sure she would have been happy with anyone that wasn't Malfoy though, so that explains her attitude towards me. It will wear off, I am sure of it._

"Dinner is ready!" Apparently, he had dozed off. He looked at the clock to notice two hours had passed. He stood and stretched as he made his way to the dining table. The lamb was clearly well done, possibly burnt. The vegetables had been smothered by the gravy that was on top of a mound of mashed potatoes. He warily sat down, and gave a polite smile to the clearly nervous chef. They took their first bites of food, and he was instantly grateful he had opted not to have her cook breakfast this morning; the dinner was terrible. The lamb was dry, burnt and tasteless besides the salt which had clearly been dumped onto the meat. The mashed potatoes were undercooked, the gravy lumpy and slimy. The vegetable were difficult to figure out what they were, they were mushy and a little too well done. He looked up at Branwen, who was cringing with each bite she took, and gave him an apologetic smile. The ironic thing was, this wasn't too bad compared to food at the orphanage.

He ate every last bite, and didn't criticize her food once. She knew it was terrible, and silently swore she would never cook this poorly again. She cleared the table and started cleaning up the mess as Riddle went to their little office presumably to work on classwork. She sighed at the mess before her, both literal and metaphorical. She was royally screwed as a housewife if her skills didn't improve. She was actually happy about this project for the first time. If this had been her actual marriage with Abraxas... she cringed at what his reaction would have been at her cooking skills.

She finished cleaning before she knew it and went to sit on her side of the bed as she wrote in her journal. She heard the water running in the bathroom, and figured Riddle must be taking his shower and getting ready for bed. She wrote quickly, grabbed her pajamas and headed to the other bathroom to change. She turned off the lights throughout the house as she made her way back to their shared bedroom. Riddle was out of the shower, propped up against some pillows, writing in his journal again. He looked up and gave her a small smile as she sat on the edge of the bed. She took a deep breath and went against lessons she had been taught for many years- never be kind to mudbloods or half bloods.

"I want to thank you for today." Tom raised an eyebrow. With a blush starting to creep its way onto her cheeks, she continued, "For stopping Malfoy, walking with me, letting me copy your notes, and not criticizing my horrible cooking." She gave him a sheepish look from behind her blue-black curls. His face was unreadable as he nodded his head.

"Your welcome." They sat in a strained silence for a while before they began discussing the marriage class tomorrow. They talked about what they thought they would be going over, about what job he would be assigned, their homework and journal entries. They both fibbed about what they had written. They stood up and awkwardly exchanged a hug and peck on the cheek before turning off the lights and going to sleep.

A/N: Chapter Three is done! Sorry for the wait, but from Wednesday to Friday, I am otherwise preoccupied and unable to get any writing done. Hopefully it is decent, and wasn't ended to abruptly! Anyway I hope you enjoyed and I look forward to reading any comments and reviews, suggestions and criticisms. If you find any mistakes, or anything please let me know! Next chapter will hopefully be up in two or three days, but possibly longer, so I apologize now for any downtime in between chapters.


	5. Chapter 4: MC, FF, DS OH MY

Chapter Four: Marriage Class, First Fight, Dark Side, OH My!

Morning time came too quickly for Branwen. She had slept peacefully last night for practically the first time in three years. However, what she saw when she opened her eyes startled her quite a bit, though she didn't show it. Tom Riddle, her husband for the school year, was resting his head on his hand watching her.

"What are you doing?" She skipped over formalities, figuring that being blunt was the best route.

"Well, your nightmares woke me up last night _again_ and this morning, you woke me up when you grabbed my hand." They both looked down to where their intertwined fingers rested on top of the blankets. A blush spread across her face as she gave an indignant huff. She got out of the bed, putting on her robe as she made a beeline to the kitchen to make breakfast and turn on the coffee pot.

She finished cooking the eggs and sausage just as Riddle came out of the bedroom, dressed and ready for school. They sat and ate quietly. Branwen went to get dressed the minute she finished eating, not bothering to even clear the table. As she was combing her unruly black hair, she thought back to her dreams. The nightmare- although it made its regular visit- was short-lived and had been replaced with a rather nice dream of the future she wished she could have. She sighed as she exited the bathroom and went to do the dishes. Tom waited patiently by the door, her scarf and robe draped over his forearm, coffee mugs in each hand.

She smiled at him as she took her things from him, except her school bag, which he insisted on carrying, and headed down the windy paths of the village. Barb and Weasley were waiting there for them.

"Good morning Riddle family!" Branwen was assaulted with a tag-team hug from her best friend and her partner. The two girl locked arms and started walking ahead of the boys, which they assumed would be the norm.

"Sooo... how are things going?" Barbara immediately asked.

"Well, I woke up to him staring at me because I had grabbed his hand in my sleep." The hazel eyed girl laughed at the expense of her cousin.

"Interesting way to wake up. Did he snog you at least?"

"Barb!" Branwen went about as red as a tomato at the mental image of the prim and proper gentleman Tom Riddle doing any such thing.

"I was just asking." They walked a little further before the interrogation continued, "So why did you grab his hand?" The blue-green eyed girl shrugged in response.

"I don't even remember doing it, but apparently I did, and wouldn't let go because I was still holding his hand when I woke up." Barbara snorted, rolling her eyes as they walked into Hogwarts and headed for their class. Weasley headed off to his class leaving Riddle with the two Ravenclaws to head to Transfiguration class. Professor Dumbledore was standing at the front of the class leaning against his table, a small smile hidden behind his beard as he watched the student file into the classroom. Once everyone was seated, class started.

"Welcome Ravenclaw and Slytherin. I would like you to find a partner for today." The class scurried about, Branwen and Barbara clinging to each other. Tom waited patiently looking to see whom he would be stuck with. Unlucky for him, Malfoy was the only one without a partner.

"Whoever you chose is who you will be working with the rest of the year." Riddle inwardly cringed, and felt a sympathetic look being sent his way from two black haired girls. "This year, we will be going over transfiguring individual parts of the human body, as well as animagus registration for those of you who choose to do so." The professor pulled out his wand and pointed it at an unsuspecting Slytherin girl sitting up front. She shrieked when she felt that her nose had been turned into a snout. Giggles erupted throughout the room.

"This is just one of the many spells we will be going over. Today however, there is a list of spells we will be working on during first semester on the board that you will be writing six-inch pages on. Please get started." Students shuffled through their bags to find the textbook, paper, and quills and started their assignment.

Tom and Abraxas worked quietly for most of the period. The sound of quills scratching across parchment was the only thing to be heard. The boys kept sending glares to each other when they thought the other wasn't looking. Needless to say, the year was going to be even more tense between the two Slytherin than it already was. Abraxas, who knew of the darker rumors being spread about the precious head boy currently 'married' to his fiance, wanted some answers on his behavior and the rumors going around.

"Would you care to explain _Head Boy_, why such a heartless person as yourself is protecting someone as weak as Branwen?" Riddle smirked glancing sideways at the blonde next to him.

"What do you mean?" Malfoy scoffed, scowling at him.

"Rumor has it you are the leader of the group of troublemakers." Riddle kept silent, so he continued, "You aren't the perfect little student you pretend to be, you and I both know it. I am simply curious as to why you are putting on the charade."

"Why the sudden curiosity?"

"You act like the white knight in front of Branwen when you and I both know that she will just be... broken once the year is over."

"Every kingdom needs an heir, Malfoy. I am simply practicing my skills at wooing a woman."

"So you plan on taking this little group of yours further than the school then?" Riddle shrugged nonchalantly, not giving a straightforward answer.

"What if someone were to tell the professors?" Riddle snarled at Malfoy.

"No one would be foolish enough to do that." Neither one was really paying much attention to their work anymore.

"Well, probably not, but they just might if they can't join." Raising an eyebrow, Tom waited for further explanation. "I am curious about this group of yours. I know Avery is in it, although he doesn't really tell me all that much about it, but I am hurt I haven't been invited." A smirk came across the dark-haired boy's face.

"There are... terms that we will need to go over before the first meeting of the year, but if you would like, we can discuss your joining Friday evening after the prefect meeting." Malfoy nodded his agreement before they went back to their work. Class was silent the rest of the time. Nobody finished all of their work, so whatever they didn't finish was homework, due on Thursday. Riddle waited for Branwen, grabbing her bag before they walked to her next class. Weasley was waiting outside of the class for Barbara and gave her a light peck on the cheek as they walked into History of Magic to find a seat. Riddle handed Branwen her bag, giving her a quick hug before he took off to his next class. The moment class started, students began to fall asleep. For a ghost teacher, Professor Binns was rather dull. Branwen cast an anti-sleep spell on herself and took notes, only half listening to the teacher.

Her mind was focused on the fake marriage she was in, and her rather protective husband. She adored that he was being such a gentleman, but she knew that it was too good to be true. If there was one thing she had learned over the years, people who seemed perfect were hiding dark secrets. She was trying to remember rumors about him that she heard every now and then. She heard that he kept people at a distance, that he doesn't really have any friends, which seemed to be true- even though he was protective over her, and always with her, he still seemed to be holding back, keeping himself apart from the world around him. People were also saying that he was in the dark arts, or that he could be found reading up on it in the library. She even heard that he had his own sort of group of followers that were the cause behind some of the rather awful wrongdoings at the school, but from what she had seen of him, she simply couldn't believe he was involved in all of this.

Class ended and everyone seemed to come back from the dead as they quickly packed their bags to escape from the lull of the classroom and its teacher. She had to shake Barbara awake before heading to the door to find the boy-in-question waiting patiently for her. Once the other couple was ready, they headed off to lunch.

"I can't stay awake in class! It is just too boring to focus. I don't get how you do it Brawnie." Barb whined.

"Well if you paid more attention in Charms, you would have learned the anti-sleep spell and this wouldn't keep happening." Barbara pouted at her cousin as they turned down the next corridor.

"Can I copy your notes?"

"No, you should have written your own." The shorter girl draped herself across Branwen giving her the puppy-dog eyes.

"Come _on_ Brawnie! You know I stink at writing notes, even when I am trying. Surely you can allow me to at least look over yours." The blue eyed girl sent a glare towards her cousin as she attempted to shake her off her arm.

"No I can't. I have other things to do rather than lend you my notes every time we go to class."

"Please! I will be your slave until I return them!" Both girls laughed

"Okay fine. Come over later tonight or tomorrow night and you can copy them." Branwen consented with a sigh as she was nearly thrown to the floor by the force of the hug. They walked into the Great Hall and took a seat, the entire room buzzing about the marriage class next period.

"What do you think we will be going over?"

"Do you think we will learn all of those dreadful things our mothers do?"

"Maybe they will let us hire a maid! I can't stand all of the cooking and cleaning." Comments like these were heard all throughout the room. There was an excited tension clinging to every student, even the younger ones. Barb, of course, was the main gossiper on their end of the Ravenclaw table.

"I bet the guys will be getting their jobs assigned today. How do you think they will do that?" Branwen shrugged wondering the same thing.

"Maybe off of what their parents do, or their N.E.W.T.S. and O.W.L.S." Most of the people nearby nodded their agreement.

"I just don't get what they will be teaching us. I mean, what is there to learn about marriage?" Others nodded their agreement.

"I hope they teach us how to cook, or spells to help, because right now, I think I am going to kill Riddle, my cooking is so terrible." Some nodded, others laughed. People broke off the main group discussion to have more private ones. Branwen took this opportunity to learn more about her husband.

"Barb, what does the gossip-mill say about Tom?" Barb leaned in conspiratorially, and whispered back what she knew.

"Well, he is an orphan and lives in an orphanage somewhere in London. I don't think anyone really knows who is parents are, only that he clearly wasn't wanted." She paused for a moment, swallowing a bite of food. "They also say that he is part of a group, leader in fact, of troublemakers. He apparently isn't close to any of them, but he is behind all of the crazy things going on here at school. Last year, when Hagrid was blamed for the death of Myrtle, there are rumors that he was just the scapegoat. Some people feel that Riddle is actually at fault considering he was so adamant about Hagrid being behind it." Branwen took this all in, and waited to hear more.

"Anything new, or is this all you know?" Barbara shook her head and continued.

"There are new rumors. Apparently someone had seen him in London over summer break. They followed him to this freaky mansion called Riddle Manor. It would seem that they were his biological parents. They died shortly after his visit, and it is going around that he killed them." Branwen froze mid-bite, eyes widening as she slowly looked over to where her husband sat by Avery. He glanced up, sensing that someone was watching him. She immediately ducked her head taking in another bite of food, leaning in closer to her cousin.

"Do you think there is any truth to that?" Apparently her cousin caught on to her nervous tone and shook her head.

"You know how these students are- they love a good gossip, and nothing is better than the perfect student caught doing something naughty." Branwen nodded slowly, and decided to meet up with Ayana later on this week to ask her about all of these rumors and see what she knows. They lapsed into silence for the rest of lunch, too busy lost in their thoughts to hold an actual conversation.

Lunch ended and the younger students rushed out to head to their classes. Professor Dumbledore, and one of the female professors were standing at the teachers table looking down on the seventh years who were fidgeting as they waited for class to start.

"Welcome to the Marriage class. Please go sit with your husband or wife and we will get started." Students scurried about to go sit with their spouse. Once everyone settled down, he continued, "As you know, you are required to have a date day every week, You have one week from today to have one. Each couple will receive a set amount of money for their date based on the job being assigned to the husband. Also, every week, your journals will be checked, but not read. These two things will determine your grade for this class." People whispered about their journals, fearing if someone were to read anything in them. Apparently, some students wrote secrets they didn't want light to be shed on.

"Settle down. Soon we will be going into our small groups of men and women to discuss the roles as husbands, and as wives. Right now, we are going to go over marriage as a whole and how to make it successful." The female professor, Madame Glendora, told the class. Students grabbed out notebooks and quills to take notes. Some students clearly thought this class was a waste of time, but Branwen took it very seriously. Riddle watched her from the corner of his eyes as she wrote notes and focused so intently, he would have thought they were taking finals, or on the battlefield fighting for their lives.

"One important thing that you should do is talk daily. Get to know your spouse. Many marriages fall apart because couples lose sight of who their spouse is through their marriage. Remember, people are always evolving, changing. I would suggest sitting down daily even if it is only for fifteen minutes and talking, asking questions, and keep an open mind." Branwen wrote everything Madame Glendora said as if it were the Bible, knowing only too well people change. She was hoping that this year, this class, would help her be a better wife, help Abraxas change and be the husband she so desperately desired. She paid no attention to the deep golden brown eyes watching her.

"Do you want to know the biggest secret to making a marriage last, and blossom into the beautiful bond that many of you ladies have read about?" The room silenced as the girls in the class visibly leaned forward in anticipation at Dumbledore's words. A kind smile hidden behind the graying red beard appeared as he spoke, "Honesty, that is the secret. In a marriage, there should be no lies, no secrets, no judging of any kind. As husband and wife, you should support each other, be your partner's crutch that holds them up when they are weak, wings that help them fly through the good times, medicine that heals them when they are sick. That is what it truly means to enter in to a marriage." The girls glanced at their faux husbands, awed and moved by the professor's words.

The students broke apart, boys with Professor Dumbledore, the girls with Madame Glendora.

Riddle walked over to the growing group of males, quite frankly not liking this class or this project one bit. He knew what he wanted in his life, and this most certainly was not it. He wasn't engaged like most of his fellow classmates, nor did he want to be- at least that is what he told himself. Yes, he knew he wanted an heir to his dream, but he never really thought about having a wife, a woman standing by him.

It was an unspoken thing that the guys stay in four groups, one for each house. Somehow, he ended up sitting between his second in command, Avery, and Malfoy. The latter gave him a devilish grin, while the other simply glared to keep up appearances. They were brought out of their strange silent communication when Dumbledore spoke.

"Welcome to Husband 101. Today you will be assigned your job and handed an envelope with money for the next two weeks and their date day. When you go home, I suggest you sit with your wife and figure out a day and make plans." He motioned for Riddle to come stand beside him, and like a good little student, he did. He was handed a large stack of manilla envelopes. "When I call your name, you will walk over to the Head Boy who will hand you your pamphlet with your assigned job, duties, and schedule one one sheet, a list of suitable places for dates as well as suggestions for simpler ones, although I suggest you get to know your wife before you choose one. You will also receive an envelope with your date money and a small note from me individually written for each of you. It will better help you understand you current situation and hopefully help gleam insight into your wife." A mischievous twinkle could be seen glimmering behind his half-moon spectacles. He started calling students forward who went to the Head Boy for their little packet.

Students immediately opened them up to see what their job would be. Some students were outraged about their job, others were bragging. Riddle rolled his eyes, irritated by his classmates and how they could act. He waited for everyone to come up, keeping his polite mask in place, a small insincere smile on his face as he handed the envelopes out. He looked across the room to notice that Branwen Black (Well, Riddle now, he supposed) handing out packets that looked similar to his, but he hadn't a clue as to why they would need them. Finally, all of the packets had been handed out, but he was confused as to why he did not have one. He gave a curious look to the redhead professor standing next to him, who seemed to pull a larger packet out of thin air and handed it to him. Riddle took it giving a polite nod as he went to take his seat, when he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

"Not just yet Mr. Riddle. As Head Boy, there are new requirements for you in this class. You and your wife will be counselors of a sort and once a week, you will be expected to go into some details about your marriage with the rest of the group to better help them with their own marriages." His eyes widened as he solemnly nodded his head. He could not believe this new requirement, and wondered if Branwen had the same. He peeked another glance her way and noticed she was tense, talking to the group in front of her, hands folded in front of her. She looked over at him, which was when he knew that she was nervous about this new responsibility, but she hid it very well.

"When would you like me to speak to the group Professor?"

"Now would be preferred." Riddle nodded and tucked his large manilla envelope under his arm as he turned to speak, but Dumbledore beat him to the punch.

"Once a week, your Head Boy will be talking about his marriage- the strife and frustrations, the good and bad. Him and his wife will be available for counseling and advice to help you with your marriages since teachers will not be allowed to do so." He looked to Riddle to proceed. The Head Boy cleared his throat to help calm his nerves as he began to delve in to details about his marriage.

"Branwen and I are practically strangers, which makes this entire marriage rather awkward. On our first night together we had talked about how.. realistic we wanted it to be, and came to the decision to treat it as if it were real. Her cooking is atrocious, but I haven't said that to her, because that would hurt her feelings, and I feel that would be counterproductive." He paused trying to think of what else to say, when a student asked a question to his surprise.

"How are your mornings and evenings? Do you actually share the bed?" Riddle nodded.

"Yes we do share the bed, but sleep as far from each other as possible for propriety's sake." He felt more than saw the look of hatred that Malfoy sent him. "As for morning and evening time, it is usually fairly quiet. We have discussed classes, favorite meals, things of that nature. We seem to wake up every morning to her falling out of the bed or jumping out of it before she recalls why she is there." A small smirk crossed his face as he recalled the first morning, her blush that spread with indignation. "Evening time is the most awkward for me at least. Because we agreed to make it as real as possible, we hug and kiss on the cheek before going to sleep."

"Mr. Riddle, I have noticed that you walk Mrs. Riddle to her class every morning. Why is that?" Dumbledore asked politely, encouraging him to continue.

"Well, in the past I have seen students do that to spend more time with who they are dating and took after their example. It just seems more appropriate to be a gentleman to her." Many of the guys rolled there eyes, sniggering at this.

"Very wise move. It would be stupid to anger the woman that you spend the rest of your life with." The Professor replied.

"What makes you say that? If the wife misbehaves, she can just be punished." One Slytherin, a close friend of Malfoy's, said. The Professor sent him a dark look before he responded.

"True, by law this is allowed, but I find it to be a rather stupid move to anger the woman who feeds you, cleans your house, washes your clothes. I suggest you keep that in mind the next time you feel your wife needs to be punished." The Slytherin student just scoffed and looked away disgruntled by the rebuttal. Dumbledore motions for Riddle to take his seat, which he gladly does.

"I am sure most of you by now know what your job will be for the school year. You are expected to go to work every day on your schedule. You must be on time as much as possible. We want you to treat this job as if it were real and not just part of an assignment. One other thing- once you have your first payday, you will start to pay bills and you will have to buy groceries and cleaning supplies." Some of the guys were clearly upset by this.

"Why are we doing that? It isn't as if the houses are real. This is supposed to be a project!"

"Yes, it is a project to help you be prepared for life after school. Plus one of the things many married couples argue about is the finances." Students grumbled about the real world. Dumbledore chuckled at his students before he continued.

"When you think of a husband and his duties, what do you think?"

"They pay the bills, come home and get pampered by their kids and wife." Malfoy said. Fellow classmates agreed to what he said, but quieted when Dumbledore shook his head slightly.

"This is only part of the way true. Yes,, most wives take care of their husbands once they come home from a long day of work, yes husbands bring home the money and pay the bills. They also care for their wives and children. They sit and talk with their spouse and help her come to decisions. Women as a rule of thumb like to vent and talk about their frustrations. Husbands, in the marriage, need to be the ear the wife can talk to about anything and everything without judgment." The males groaned, sour expressions on most faces at the thought of a woman whining and complaining about life.

"Because most wives stay at home, she will often find pet projects or hobbies that the husband must support. It could be gardening, shopping, knitting, writing, any number of things, but you should always be supportive of her. The golden rule in the muggle world is something we should also go by- treat others as you would want to be treated." At the muggle comment, the Slytherin party became outraged, exclaiming and demanding to know why they should follow anything the muggles do when they are so far beneath the wizard world. Dumbledore, the patient man that he is, waited for everyone to say their piece before he continued.

"I understand your frustration, but you should think of it this way- if your wife was not supportive of your hobbies, if she criticized your ideals, and beliefs- would you want to take care of her? Would you want to help her when she needed it? I think not- it will make your lives, as well as hers so much better if you learn to treat each other as if they were you and you were them." With that, the group became silent, lost in thought as class ended.

Branwen and Barbara walked over to their group led by Madame Glendora. Both of them were slightly excited about this class, but Barbara was more agitated. Her cousin understood why- Preston Avery, the scumbag sitting on Riddle's right side, was verbally abusive and showed tendencies for physical violence. Barbara didn't want to treat him well when she couldn't stand the chauvinist. Barbara was huge on the feminine rights movement, just a little too far ahead of her time for her own good. They found open seats by their fellow Ravenclaw classmates, and sat there, notebook and quill in hand waiting for the professor to start.

"Welcome ladies to Housewife 101. Today we will just go over a few cursory tips to the married life, but before that, I will need some assistance from the Head Girl." She motioned for Branwen, who stood with her hands folded in her lap waiting for instructions. She barely caught the large stack of manilla envelopes that appeared out of nowhere. "If you would be so kind to pass these out to the appropriate student, we will be able to start." Branwen gave a curt nod. The girls slowly came up to collect their package, curious as to what could be in it. As she was handing them out, she felt someone watching her from across the room. She tried to ignore it, but she ended up turning her head to see who it was- to her surprise it was Riddle. She immediately turned back to her task at hand, her mask of regal aloofness in place.

The girls were instructed to wait to open the folders, so they were fidgeting, gossiping about what could possibly be in them. Branwen listened in, hearing the hopes of papers for maids, chefs, and things of the like. She rolled her eyes at how materialistic some of these girls were. Barb apparently felt the same way based on the look of disgust on her face. Finally, all of the envelopes had been passed out. Branwen looked at her professor expectantly, and was not disappointed. She was handed one that was twice the size of the rest of the girls.

"Branwen Riddle will be giving a little speech about her marriage once a week to help you girls with your own- to let you know that every marriage has its quirks. She and her husband will also be available for counseling since teachers are not allowed to." The Head Girl's eyes widened as Madame Glendora spoke of her new-found duties. She knew something had been up when she had been called forward, but hadn't realized it was anything close to this. The professor motioned for her to start her explanation of her life with Tom Riddle. She handed her envelope to Barb, straightened her spine, folded her hands in front of her as she thought of what to say.

"Tom and I don't really know each other much. Until this year, we hardly ever spoke, so things are a bit strange between him and I." She started trying to think of what all she should say. She figured she would start with the perks of this marriage. "He surprised me by being such a gentleman. When we go to head to school, he has my things with him and hands them to me. He refuses to allow me to carry my own bag," She let a hint of irritation about this slip out, but quickly covered it up with a smile, "but he says it is his duty to carry it so I am not burdened with the weight."

"This is all fine and dandy, but surely there are some downsides to your marriage." Madame Glendora interrupted her.

"Well, the marriage is still new, so we haven't really had any problems. Well, besides when we first wake up. Somehow, I end up on the floor from scrambling out of the bed, which makes him laugh." Once again she felt someone watching her, and she looked to find Tom doing much the same thing as she was. Apparently there would be a discussion about these new requirements.

"We have agreed to treat this like a real marriage as far as the physical stuff goes, so we hug and kiss each other on the cheek at night, which is always very awkward. It feels too forced on his side. My cooking hasn't killed him yet, but there is always tonight." This made most of the girls laugh and nod their heads in understanding. Branwen shifted while she thought of anything else to add.

"For the most part, he has been amazing, but I am still waiting for the first fight to happen to see what happens between us afterwords." The teacher nodded her approval and motioned for her to take a seat. Branwen wanted to run and hide, but walked and took her seat in a calm collected manner.

"Very good, and thank you for that insight. Now before we open our envelopes, I want to go over what is in them." The group leaned forward, some excited, almost bouncing, others weary. "There are a few pages of recipes since I am sure many of you haven't actually ever cooked before. There is also a page on various tips to help with cleaning, and two spells to help with timing when cooking and cleaning around the house. Each of you also have two notes from Professor Dumbledore and myself to give you encouragement and help figure out your husbands." The girls giggled at this but quieted to hear if there was anything else in the package. "There is also a spell for cleaning your wedding bands." At this the girls looked at their hands to notice for the first time for most the wedding rings on their fingers. Each one was different, beautiful. Barbara's had a small pale pink gem with a golden rose stem for the band. Branwen's ring had a large diamond with small rubies on the side, a snake made of white gold for the band. The rings were stunning, strange, exotic, unique. The professor cleared her throat to get their attention again.

"The last few pages are guidelines of what is expected of a wife. These are just guidelines as each of you have different personalities and will find your own way of being a great spouse for your husbands." She paused for a brief moment, "Now you may open them for a brief moment, then class is dismissed."

The seventh years leave their little groups and wait for instructions on their next class, Potions. Professor Slughorn comes into the room smiling proudly at certain students he had picked out over the years as his 'prodigy' group. He walked up front to where the other two teachers were standing.

"Good afternoon seventh years! Because of your marriage class, potions will be a combined class of all of you, so we will be going to a different classroom for the year. If you will kindly follow us, we shall get going." The teachers lead the large group of students up the stairs to the seventh floor where a door most students had never noticed before stood. The double-doors opened to show a massive potions classroom, three doors branching off from the room. One was clearly the professor's office, the one on the opposite side of the wall was a large pantry full of ingredients. The third door seemed to be a storage room for potions. The group of seventh years gawked at some of the gadgets throughout the room, the raised platform where a curtain was drawn behind the blackboard. The three professors stood up front waiting for the students to take their seats. Professor Dumbledore and Madame Glendora took a seat in two comfortable looking high-back chairs in the right corner of the platform, giving Professor Slughorn the floor.

"If you haven't already guessed the reason for the large class this year, you will be working with your spouse on certain potions." He waved his wand at they board and two long potion instructions appeared. "You will need to write this down, as these are the first potions of the year. They are experimental ones, so they have yet to be named, so you _must _follow the instructions to the letter, or you will be forced to redo the potion, which will effect your grade significantly." the class groaned as a whole, fearing what could happen if they were to mess up _experimental_ potions that they had no clue what they were supposed to do.

"Now please go sit with your spouse and get started on one of them, then start on the other. You must finish all of the steps on the board before you go home today, as this is only the first of many steps to follow for these potions." Riddle, who was already sitting with Branwen raised his hand.

"Excuse me Professor, but what do these potions do? What is their purpose that they should take so long to make?" Slughorn glanced over at Professor Dumbledore, who stood and answered the question.

"These potions are very delicate because of their purpose. They are meant to alter the human body's chemical balance. If you should mess up in even the slightest of ways, the effects of the potion will be altered greatly." The students gasped and looked at the board fearfully as they threw out the papers they had been writing on to rewrite the potion instructions down word for word. Branwen, who had already been worrying about potions class to begin with, was even more nervous now. _Why are we working with experimental potions meant to mess with our chemical balance? Shouldn't the ministry be working on these types of things _before_ they are allowed to be made by students?!_ Apparently she wasn't the only one who felt that way.

The wives all seemed to head to the pantry to grab the ingredients as the husbands went to get the cauldrons and other necessary tools to make the potion and measure the correct amount of each ingredient. Branwen was next in line to head in for her first set of ingredients. When she finally entered, she froze, eyes widening at the dozens of shelves of many different items, quite a few she had never even heard of. She shook herself out of her reverie and started scanning the lower shelves for what she needed. One by one, she found them, some were so high up, she had to use the ladder to get to them. Finally she had everything, so she headed back to her table where Tom waited for her reading over their instructions. She gently set everything down and turned to look at him.

"So how do you want to do this?" She asked as she took her seat.

"Well I was figuring we split the ingredients down the middle and switch off when we stir in new ones." Branwen nodded her head and proceeded to evenly divide up the items between them, then went to work on hers. Riddle seemed quite proficient at dicing and crushing his ingredients up, while Branwen was having more of a difficult time. She had to crush sopophorus beans, but the bouncing little buggers wouldn't hold still, so she was struggling to say the least. Tom was busy grinding up a spike from a Hungarian Horntail Dragon while she fought with a bean. During this skirmish, she managed to cut her finger and the bean.

"Ouch, shit" She mumbled under her breath as she grabbed a nearby cloth and wrapped it around her finger. The bean had jumped into the potion splattering it on Riddle and the grounds he was measuring. He glared at her until he noticed her injured finger.

"Let me see it." She defiantly shook her head. He sighed and yanked her hand closer, pulling the makeshift bandage off to examine the cut. He healed it quickly and went to dump out the potion now ruined.

"Now we have to restart. I will go get the ingredients again. Try to be careful this time." He grumbled as he stomped off toward the pantry. She huffed as she added in the correct amount of water and set it on the burner to boil. She went back to the ingredients she still had left and set to getting everything ready. By the time Riddle came back, she had the remaining ingredients ready to be added in. Riddle was astonished but nodded his approval as he set to work to finish the rest of the ingredients. They added them in one by one, stirring occasionally.

All around them there were arguments, things clashing as frustrated couples lashed out on the potion. Small explosions, screeches, things melting away could be heard. Through all of the negative noise though, there was an undercurrent of compliments and happy murmurs of praise. Branwen watched one of the happier couples high-five and lean in closer to share a quick peck as they continued their work. She sighed imperceptibly, secretly wishing for a marriage like that someday. Sadly, she was too lost in thought to notice two pairs of eyes watching her, one pair of dark golden brown eyes in particular were analyzing her every move and gesture- how she barely slumped her shoulders, how her eyes seemed to hold a melancholy glaze as she watched the other couple, the barest hint of envy buried deep in her eyes. They soon finished the first part of the first potion and took it to the professor to have it looked at.

"Very well done Riddle. Go place it in the storage room and start on the second. Don't forget the lid!" He added as they walked to the middle door on the left wall. They opened it and went to place it on a random shelf when they noticed a bronze plaque listing off the name of another couple. They looked around and noticed that each shelf had someone's name on it, marking them so that the potions wouldn't get mixed up. They scanned to find theirs, when Tom spotted it on one of the higher shelves. Branwen started to climb the ladder to the shelf he indicated.

When she went to place the cauldron down, she read their little name plate- _Tom and Branwen Riddle_. Her heart skipped a beat. She still had yet to write down her new last name, so seeing it like this was a shock to her. She shuffled down a little too quickly and lost her balance. Luckily for her, Riddle moved quickly and caught her before she fell. She looked up in his eyes, and noticed just how beautiful of a shade of brown they really were. There was something hidden deep in his eyes, but the moment she thought she figured it out, he became unreadable again as if he had shut the door to his soul.

She scrambled out of his arms and went straight to the cupboard to get the next set of ingredients. She had noticed that quite a few of them were the same as before, but the mixture of ingredients just didn't make that much sense to her. She kept trying to figure out what it was exactly that they were creating, but she couldn't figure it out. She started to walk out of the storage room only to bump into someone- Abraxas Malfoy.

"Sorry Abraxas, I wasn't watching where I was going." She mumbled, eyes wide as she looked for an escape route. She couldn't find one. He smirked down at her and slowly closed the door with his foot, but left it cracked so not to raise suspicion.

"Your little dark knight can't rescue you now." The crazed smile on his face made her stumble back a few steps until her back was pressed against the ladder. Instead of cowering some more like she really wanted to, she lifted her chin defiantly and glared back at him.

"I don't need a knight of any sort. But it would be in your best interest to let me go." Malfoy laughed at this and grabbed her wrist. She shrieked before he had the chance to cover her mouth. Thankfully he let go and kicked the door back open to see Riddle running to them, Barbara and James hot on his tail.

"It would appear I startled _your wife_ when I walked in. My apologies Ms. Black." Branwen glared at him and gave him a good hard slap across the face- something she had wanted to do for quite some time.

"Don't insult my husband or me like that by lying. And it is _Mrs. Riddle_ to you Malfoy." She picked up her fallen ingredients and stormed out of the room leaving an enraged blonde behind her. She draped her hand on Riddle's offered arm as they walked away, not letting on just how much that encounter had terrified her besides the death grip she had on his arm.

To say Riddle was stunned would be an understatement. He had been on his way to the storage room to see what was taking so long, when her heard her scream. For some reason he couldn't quite explain, he was enraged at Malfoy's audacity to touch Branwen after he had warned him away. He chalked it up to disliking the idea of being disobeyed. Before he even had the chance to retort to Malfoy, Branwen had slapped him so hard it echoed throughout the small space. His chest had puffed up slightly at seeing her stand up for herself, but it deflated just a bit and turned to rage when she practically broke his arm with her grip.

It would appear this has been going on longer than he thought because she hid her fear very well. He wondered, not for the first time, just how abusive Malfoy was towards her. He noticed that she was fiddling with something on her hand- a wedding ring. He hadn't noticed it before, and immediately looked down at his hand to find a similar one to hers, except there were no gems, just a white-gold band shaped like a snake biting its tail. He found it ironic that their wedding bands would have snakes considering that he was the heir of Slytherin, though no one knew that.

He let her get lost in her thoughts for the rest of class and finished the second potion without her. He was still slightly irate with her from her slip up with their first potion. He hated having to work with partners because their skills were beneath his in almost every way. She however, despite her cutting her finger and messing up the potion, seemed to be close to his level, but not quite there. He had to admit, even if only to himself, he was intrigued to see just how skilled she really was in other areas as well. Cooking was definitely not her one of her skills, but he prayed that it would improve.

He turned in his potion and put it on their shelf. He noticed Barbara and Weasley having difficulty with their potion and smirked to himself. He came back to the table to notice it had been cleaned up. Branwen stood their sheepishly holding his bag and scarf out to him as her apology. He took his bag as well as hers before he grabbed her hand and led them out of the school to their little cottage. Branwen was clearly trying to distract herself from her thoughts because she couldn't stop rambling about the potions they were working on.

"... I mean, what purpose do they serve? Why would we be working on something_ experimental_ when it has to be approved by the ministry first?" She looked up at him expectantly, wanting his input on the topic.

"Well if you ask me, it has something to do with the marriage class, but I have no idea what. Why else would they insist that we work with our spouse?" She nodded, still thinking about what it could be.

"The ingredients just don't make sense! Every single one we put in today would put someone on edge, make them angry and volatile. Are the professors _trying_ to kill off the entire world by giving someone this potion?" Riddle couldn't help but laugh. He didn't realize she could be so overly dramatic, but he assumed it was because she was frustrated that she couldn't figure out what the potion was for.

"Well, you heard Professor Slughorn- that is only the first part of the potion." Branwen shrugged in agreement.

"There isn't much left to add in that would make the potion any worse besides poison, but then it would be similar to the drought of death." By this point, they had arrived at their home. Riddle, deciding to try to lighten the mood, and completely distract her from where her mind was clearly trying to stay away from, did something unexpected. After he unlocked the door, he picked her up bridal style and carried her inside giving her a kiss on the lips. She had been laughing until their lips met. She had definitely been surprised, and it wasn't so awkward this time. He pulled away and set her down removing her robe as well as his.

She went straight to the kitchen to start brewing some tea- chamomile and lavender sounded perfect for her nerves. She had completely forgotten about the incident in potions, but was back to the other topic that had been plaguing her all day- her husband. She thought back to the rumors she had heard about Riddle- that he had gone and seen his biological family and killed them over summer break, he was in charge of a group of misfits- and about how he acts- sweet, considerate, distant, intelligent, apart from the world. She couldn't figure him out, try though she might. She poured the tea and went to the living room where he sat, homework in his lap. She took a seat by him and handed him a cup.

"So what would you like for dinner? Madame Glendora handed us some recipes so hopefully the food will be better tonight. Riddle inwardly cringed as he recalled last night's meal, but smiled to her as she quickly got out the recipes to see which he wanted. There was a recipe for steak, lamb, spaghetti, so many options. He wasn't a particularly big fan of spaghetti thanks to the orphanage, but it was something he was used to tasting terrible, so he chose that with steak cut up on top, cauliflower on the side. Branwen rushed to the kitchen giving him the chance to read his note from the perceptive bespectacled professor.

_Dear Tom Riddle,_

_ It's a new year in so many ways. You find yourself the Head boy, a married man, a working man, and still a student. You have a lot to take in, many responsibilities. Somehow, I know you will be able to handle them. I am sure you think Branwen Black was chosen to be your wife because she is the Head Girl, and although this is partly true, it is not the main reason._

_ I am not quite sure if you know this, but she is engaged to Abraxas Malfoy. I don't know the specifics of their relationship, but I have noticed how much she has changed these pas few years. I wanted her to be protected, and am giving you this responsibility as well. For that, I must apologize._

_ She is very strong willed, intelligent, and in her own right, an excellent wizard. I am hoping that your union, although a false one, will help you both grow stronger, that you two will be compatible, as I hope all of the couples will be. I am sure that you will find she is your equal when it comes to knowledge. She has surprised me over the years._

_ As a husband, you will need to be there for her, as she will need to be there for you. This will teach you about better communicating with your classmates, and hopefully give you a true friendship. You are strong Tom, but not invincible. I hope this year will teach you that._

_Best of Luck,_

_Albus Dumbledore, Transfiguration Professor, Head of Gryffindor._

Riddle couldn't help but chuckle at parts of the letter- mainly the description of Branwen. _Strong-willed? My equal in intelligence?_ He didn't really believe any of it. Close to him in equality, he might consent, but his equal? No. He reread the paragraph about her engagement to Abraxas. _So it has been going on for a few years?_ He hadn't expected that. He thought back to over the years, but he had never really noticed her when they were younger. He had seen her of course, but she was too bubbly, or withdrawn and stuck-up for him to really care to know her. He thought harder when he realized that she went from being open and perky to quiet, withdrawn, stuck-up with that regal air about her. It started during fourth year, if memory served him right. _Is that when Abraxas started hitting her?_

He wrote all of his thoughts down in his journal, his conversation with Malfoy and the incident in class. He was just starting to write about the letter when Branwen announced dinner was ready. He slowly approached the table and took his seat. She dished it out, and it didn't look to be so terrible. It actually looked edible. He twirled a bite of spaghetti on his fork and raised it in a sort of toast and took the first bite.

Unlike the spaghetti at the orphanage which was mush, this spaghetti was cooked almost to perfection. It wasn't too soft, but just a bit too crunchy for his taste. The sauce had too much garlic in it, but otherwise was good. He took a bite of the steak. It was medium rare, not very seasoned, and just a little dry. The entire meal was a great improvement from the previous night.

"It is delicious Branwen." She blushed a bit giving a shy smile as she ate.

"I am glad you like it. Any suggestions?" Riddle thought for a moment. He didn't want to upset her, but she had asked for suggestions.

"Maybe next time add a little less garlic in the sauce, and let the noodles cook for a minute or so more. Otherwise, it is superb." He watched to see if she would be hurt, but she simply beamed at him and gave a nod.

"I will keep that in mind." They ate in silence for a while. It was broken by Branwen.

"Did Professor Dumbledore mention to you our new duties as Head Boy and Head Girl?" Riddle nodded.

"In the packets you were passing out, did you get papers with counseling instructions and tips as well?" She nodded and went on to describe some of the topics.

"Yours are different than mine. For us it had the mood swings, the monthly... interruptions in personalities." She nodded. They went on to discuss how to handle the counseling, but decided to just see what happened and what problems would arise.

"So what job were you assigned?"

"File clerk for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement." Branwen's eyes widened as she gave him an encouraging smile.

"Is that where you want to be when you graduate?" He shook his head. He didn't want to tell her the truth about his plans for after school, but figured he would give her the job he wants to help him with his plans.

"I am hoping to become a professor here at Hogwarts." Branwen's smile widened as she got lost in thought for a minute.

"There are rumors being spread around the school that you are an orphan." Tom visibly stiffened but nodded his head, suddenly wary of the topic of discussion.

"Yes, I am. It would appear my mother was dying and gave birth to me at the orphanage before she passed away. My father didn't want me, so I grew up there." Her face became a blank mask, although inside, she felt herself breaking at the sadness of his father not wanting him.

"I am sorry, I didn't mean to bring up something so hard for you. I just wanted to learn more about you, and what little I do know is the rumors being said around school." Riddle nodded his understanding.

"Feel free to ask about them that way you have the truth."

"Well, you are called the teacher's pet by many people." He nodded with a rueful smile. He so hated that nickname, but it was true- there was no better way to get information than to be close to the teachers. She continued, "Someone claimed to have seen you over summer break outside of some manor.." He almost dropped his fork as he froze, but he didn't respond in any other way. "They also say you are the one behind Myrtle's death and the leader of the group of misfits behind some of the incidents that have happened over the past few years." She waited for him to answer, but he stayed silent as the grave.

"Is there any truth to any of them?" He didn't answer for a long time.

"What I do over summer break is my business. Myrtle's death was a tragedy, but not my fault. Who I am or am not friends with and what they do is none of your business." She bristled.

"Weren't you the one that promised to be honest?" He mentally scorned himself for his vows.

"I said when I can be. Everyone has secrets Branwen. You don't hear me asking about your engagement to Malfoy. Asking you about how long he has been hitting you and verbally assaulting you." She froze. He had hit a mark, and he wasn't done. "I don't ask you about your nightmares! I assure you, I am curious, but everyone has a right to privacy. This marriage isn't real, so why divulge our secrets?" With that he stormed off to the office to work on his homework. Branwen just sat there. She looked at the leftover food and got up in a trance to clean up, moving without really thinking about what she was doing. The last sentence had stung and shattered the little hope that had built up inside of her. She had fooled herself in to thinking that maybe, just maybe, for this one year she could have the marriage she wanted but knew she would never have. Now she knew that wouldn't be true.

Before she knows it, she is done cleaning. She goes to the room to find Riddle is not there. She takes the time to grab her nightclothes and go take a shower to get ready for bed. When she is done and walks back into the room, he still isn't there. She turns the lights off and crawls into bed, her last thought wondering if the nightmares would consume her.

A/N: Thank you for your patience and support! I hope you enjoy the chapter and that it was worth the wait! As you can see, the reason for the tardiness is the length of this chapter. Anyway, enjoy and let me know what you think! I look forward to reading your reviews, comments, ideas, tips, suggestions or whatever else you may have to say!

Here is a song to listen to whenever you read this, because it sums up what I want to happen, although I haven't a clue how yet! _The Last Night by Skillet_


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